President’s update: AI report, medicinal cannabis, Indigenous health and a productivity roundtable

Hello, and happy Friday! It’s been a nice and busy week back after a teeny break in South Australia after AMA25.

Back from leave means back to meetings, and more often than not, back-to-back meetings. The fifth Primary Care and Workforce Reviews Expert Panel meeting was held this week and continues to provide advice on bringing together the many recent reviews in primary care. I will continue to advocate for a primary care system that recognises and values the clinical expertise and leadership role of doctors in team-based models, and I will update you as work progresses.

On Tuesday I co-chaired the Taskforce for Indigenous Health's first meeting with the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association President Dr Jonathan Newchurch. The Taskforce welcomed a new work plan that is bold and outcome-driven. The plan encompasses both workforce and public health issues, including communicable diseases, youth justice, climate and health and mental health. 

The Taskforce discussed the CMO's declaration of syphilis as a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance. This is not a new issue but is finally being recognised — sadly at a time when we’re also seeing benzathine penicillin shortages. Dr Newchurch said: "to get to this point is a national shame". I can only agree.

Wednesday was the government’s huge Health, Disability and Ageing Economic Reform Roundtable in Sydney, held by the Health Minister Mark Butler along with head honchos from the department and other stakeholders including me. We’re saying the dead obvious — a healthy workforce is a productive workforce, and health delivers a double productivity benefit through our work improving the health and productivity of others. Themes of the day included collaboration across the health, ageing and disability sectors; reducing red tape; planning for the workforce of the future; the importance of prevention (calls for a levy on sugary drinks even got a mention!); improving culture; funding care that delivers improved outcomes, and embracing digital enablers where they truly help. We definitely gave the government plenty to work with.

Outside of meetings, we welcomed the beginning of the TGA’s consultation into unapproved medicinal cannabis products, which follows AMA advocacy and which Tony Lawler announced at AMA25. The explosion of the direct-to-consumer telehealth industry, particularly single-issue providers and closed loop prescribing models, is a big worry and this is a very welcome start to get on top of this issue. We need to embrace technological advances and meet patients where they seek care, but this must be done safely and still adhere to evidence based principles. 

On embracing technology, we also released our report on artificial intelligence in healthcare this week, in which we call for expert clinical oversight of the use of AI including the establishment of a dedicated group of health experts to provide clinical leadership and guidance on regulating AI in healthcare.

The second episode of the AMA’s new podcast — The Waiting Room — dropped yesterday, and while I am the guest again on this episode I promise to give you a break for a while as Omar and Chris interview other people over coming weeks! In this episode we’re exploring the AMA’s calls for reforms to general practice and general practice funding which we think are desperately needed to ensure Medicare and primary care are fit for the needs of Australians now and into the future.

I’ll be in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and home again next week so I will fill you in on all the adventures this time next week. Stay well!